Three officials of Lefori Sub County in Moyo district were on Tuesday arrested by the police for allegedly misusing 5.4 million shillings under the National Agricultural Advisory Services, NAADS.
Those who were arrested and subsequently remanded by Moyo grade one magistrate include the Lefori sub-county chief Makosa Sebbi, the sub-accountant Nekodumas Vuciri and the sub-county NAADS coordinator, Savor Ippe.
The money that landed the three in problems was meant for procurement of livestock to farmers, who had selected it as their enterprise under the NAADS program in the last financial year that ended in June.
But without following the procurement procedures, the officials went out and purchased the livestock at low prices than the one budgeted for, forcing the beneficiary farmers to report the matter to police for investigations.
Ahmed Kimera, Moyo district police commander says after the arrest, the three officials were arraigned before the chief magistrate’s court and charged with embezzlement of the funds. Kimera says according to police investigations there was no value for money.
But as the three are on remand, police is planning more arrests of the district officials involved in the alleged mismanagement of public funds. DPC Kimera says that misuse of public funds has become rampant in the district and those days people used to fear to report but now they are empowered enough to inform police in case of corruption.
While appearing before the chief magistrate’s court on Tuesday, prosecution told court that the three did not follow the correct procurement process in purchasing inputs under NAADS, which led to poor supply of inputs to farmers hence causing gross financial loss.
The Chief Magistrate, Muhammad Kasaija, then remanded the suspects to Moyo government prison pending further inquiry by anti corruption court. He also informed them that his court has no jurisdiction to give the suspects bail.
Reacting to the arrest of the officials, the LC3 chairman of Lefori sub-county, Paul Bua insisted that there was nothing like misuse of the money in the district. According to him the case is just politically motivated because as far as he knows the said livestock was purchased after they agreed with the farmers.
In October 2009, three NAADS officials from Dufile Sub County and one from Metu Sub County were also arrested under the directives of the then state minister for agriculture, Henry Bagire.
